Correlation between the Gait Deviation Index and skeletal muscle mass in children with spastic cerebral palsy

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Cerebral palsy (CP) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder affecting motor function.
• Assessing gait deviations in ambulatory children with spastic CP is crucial for effective rehabilitation.
• Identifying simple, reliable muscle parameters to complement gait analysis tools like the Gait Deviation Index (GDI) is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify a simple and useful muscle parameter for use with the Gait Deviation Index (GDI).
• To assess ambulatory children with unilateral and bilateral spastic cerebral palsy.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 28 ambulatory children (aged 6-18 years) with spastic cerebral palsy.
• Gait Deviation Index (GDI) was measured.
• Muscle parameters assessed included grip strength, 5-repetition chair stand test, upper limb skeletal muscle mass index, and lower limb skeletal muscle mass index.

Main Results:

• Multiple regression analysis revealed significant independent correlations between the GDI and the 5-repetition chair stand test.
• A significant correlation was also found between the GDI and the lower limb skeletal muscle mass index.
• No significant correlations were observed between the GDI and grip strength or upper limb skeletal muscle mass index.

Conclusions:

• The Gait Deviation Index (GDI) is correlated with lower limb muscle mass in children with spastic cerebral palsy.
• Determination of lower limb muscle mass may serve as a useful component in gait evaluation for this population.
• This finding suggests potential for incorporating simple muscle assessments into routine clinical practice for CP gait analysis.